<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>i want you for a lifetime by rikubraveheart</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25558135">i want you for a lifetime</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/rikubraveheart/pseuds/rikubraveheart'>rikubraveheart</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Persona 5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Akira just got out of prison poor baby, Canon Compliant, First Kiss, Idiots in Love, If I ever go to jail I hope I get a jail-cake, Love Confessions, M/M, Missing Scene</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 11:54:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,575</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25558135</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/rikubraveheart/pseuds/rikubraveheart</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Before Ryuji can finish speaking, he does something that the Akira of a few months ago wouldn’t have done. That Akira would be too busy trying to maintain his cool and collected persona, trying to look like the perfect unshakeable leader. This Akira, though, has just gone through what could possibly be the worst period of his life. </p><p>This Akira just wants a hug from his best friend.</p><p>So he takes it.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Amamiya Ren/Sakamoto Ryuji, Kurusu Akira/Sakamoto Ryuji, Persona 5 Protagonist/Sakamoto Ryuji</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>143</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>i want you for a lifetime</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/EstrangedFamiliar/gifts">EstrangedFamiliar</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Prompt: "I missed you so much."</p><p>Some of my mutuals on Twitter gave me prompts + a ship I like and I was supposed to make drabbles out of them. I say supposed because this ended up in a short one-shot, which is why I'm publishing it here oops. I word vomited this.</p><p>My twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/rikubraveheart">@rikubraveheart</a></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>His months spent in Juvie hadn’t been easy. He hadn’t felt that alone since he had been first convicted for assault and everyone he had trusted had suddenly decided to avoid him like the plague. </p><p>Since he had arrived in Tokyo, there had been no time alone. He was always with someone, always spending time with a friend or trying to help one of his confidants, and when it wasn’t one of those he still had Morgana with him.</p><p>In Juvie it was him and his mind, missing the warm presence of his friends (of one friend in particular). Without it, he just felt cold.</p><p>So, needless to say, getting out of that prison is quite literally like getting out of hell. </p><p>He steps into LeBlanc to see all his friends reunited there. The cold he had felt in the detention centre is once again replaced by the comforting warmth of his family’s company.</p><p>“Here,” says Haru, once everyone has exchanged greetings with Akira. “We got you this.”</p><p>“It was Futaba’s idea,” Makoto rushes to say. An evil grin appears on Futaba’s face.</p><p>In front of Akira, there’s a cake with the words ‘Welcome back from jail!’ written on it. He stares at it for a moment and then bursts out laughing. Because, really, who else but the Phantom Thieves would get him something like that.</p><p>Laughing again feels <em>great.</em> He can remember exactly the last time he laughed before that, before Juvie, which should be weird, except he remembers it because it was when Ryuji tried to eat Akira’s special curry and almost choked on its spices. He had laughed so much he had cried.</p><p>Speaking of Ryuji, he can feel his stare on him. Everyone else is still laughing, the ridiculousness of the jail cake catching up to them, but Ryuji has stopped laughing and is now looking at him with a softness in his eyes he hadn't seen ever since he had told him his place was by Akira's side.</p><p>Akira stares back, and for a second it feels like it’s just Ryuji and him in the room.</p><p>The spell is broken when Futaba says, “Come on, Akira, cut the cake! I hunger!”</p><p>When Futaba demands food, you listen, so he does as she asks. The cake tastes great, in fact, it’s probably the best cake he’s ever had. Apparently, Haru got it from some expensive bakery (the thought of some high-class baker having to write ‘Welcome back from jail!’ on a cake almost makes him crack up again).</p><p>While they eat, Akira can’t shake Ryuji from his mind. He hasn’t been able to shake him away in all the time he’s been in jail, the thought of unspoken words plaguing his mind. One more regret on the pile of things he should have done or said before getting locked up.</p><p>He starts forming a plan in his mind. “Hey Ryuji, I actually think I still have some of your manga that you lent me before… you know,” he says.</p><p>Ryuji lifts his head from the slice of cake he had been devouring. “Huh?”</p><p>“Wanna come upstairs for a minute to get them?” he asks. </p><p>Ryuji shrugs. “Sure, dude.”</p><p>Both of them walk up to the attic, leaving the busy party behind.</p><p>“I can’t remember which manga you mean though—”</p><p>Before Ryuji can finish speaking, he does something that the Akira of a few months ago wouldn’t have done. That Akira would be too busy trying to maintain his cool and collected persona, trying to look like the perfect unshakeable leader. This Akira, though, has just gone through what could possibly be the worst period of his life. </p><p>This Akira just wants a hug from his best friend.</p><p>So he takes it.</p><p>He puts his arms around Ryuji’s torso and holds him tight, clenching the fabric of his shirt with his hands. “I missed you so much,” he exhales, head in the crook of Ryuji’s neck.</p><p>Ryuji seems taken by surprise for a second, but quickly returns the hug. Intimacy isn’t weird between them—arms around shoulders, lingering touches and a myriad of gestures that other people may interpret as something else. But <em>this,</em> this is different, new. It’s Akira holding onto Ryuji like he’s going to disappear, and Ryuji holding onto Akira like he’ll crumble without his support.</p><p>Like this, he can barely hear the sounds of their other friends partying downstairs. It’s just the two of them, embracing each other and not wanting to let go.</p><p>It’s Ryuji who breaks away first. Akira whines, suddenly feeling the absence of the other boy’s warmth. “You okay, man?” he asks him, concerned.</p><p>“Yeah, it’s just—” He removes his glasses and pinches the bridge of his nose. “It hasn’t been easy.”</p><p>Opening up isn’t easy either, but he thinks that if there’s someone he can be vulnerable in front of that’s Ryuji. </p><p>“Wanna talk about it?” </p><p>They’re both sitting on his couch now and, god, it’s as uncomfortable as Akira remembered. And that’s coming from someone who had had the pleasure to sleep on a jail bed. Those were hard, cold, and had no substance. But in all honesty, Akira couldn't tell if he preferred <em>that</em> over the couch.</p><p>He thinks about Ryuji’s question. Does he want to talk about it? Not really. If it came down to him, he'd never bring up his time in jail ever again. He’s already made up his mind, though. The moment he’d stepped out of that prison, he’d decided things would be different.</p><p>“I— Actually, yes,” Akira replies. Ryuji looks surprised, clearly not used to Akira talking things out. He’s great in helping other people with their problems, but not so great at talking about his own.</p><p>“Uh, okay!” Ryuji exclaims, awkwardly. “I’ll listen.”</p><p>Akira can’t help but smile a little, and almost chuckles at his awkwardness. Instead, he breathes in and starts talking.</p><p>“I had a lot of time to think, in Juvie. Too much time. I thought a lot about—everything, basically. We could be here hours and we need to go back downstairs soon, so I’ll cut straight to the point,” he says. </p><p>Ryuji is listening to him with utmost attention, as if he'd been waiting for this chance to listen all his life. To listen to Akira’s problems instead of it being the other way around. </p><p>“Some of the stuff that crossed my mind the most was the things I hadn’t gotten to do before getting stuck in jail. And, out of everything, I had no bigger regret than not having done this before turning myself in,” he finishes talking.</p><p>Before Ryuji can ask about it, Akira leans in and kisses him. Ryuji actually <em>gasps</em> and Akira would find it funny if he weren’t so nervous about his reaction. He hopes he hasn’t read him wrong, that Ryuji wants this as much as he does.</p><p>His uncertainty fades away when Ryuji kisses him back—awkwardly and unsure, undoubtedly inexperienced. But Akira has more than enough spirit for both of them. With his anxiety now gone, he reinforces the kiss, making all that doubt go away.</p><p>The kiss doesn’t last much longer, though, because, like he had done with their hug earlier, Ryuji breaks away. He looks at him, and he observes him as he openly pants. He appears overwhelmed.</p><p>“I… Uh… I mean…” Ryuji tries to talk, but is unable to form a coherent sentence. Akira smiles. <em>Adorable,</em> he thinks. “Why?”</p><p>That is a question he can answer easily. “Because I’m in love with you, obviously.”</p><p>He says it candidly, without hesitation. He’s been imagining this moment for months, how it would play out and what he’d say, so needless to say he’s prepared for every scenario. In the nights when he felt the loneliest, it was his only solace, even if he did get embarrassed after thinking about it for too long.</p><p>Ryuji hides his face on the crook of Akira’s neck, and he takes the opportunity to hug him again. He can feel him breathing, still astounded by the kiss. “Please don’t let this be another dream,” he whispers against Akira’s neck. He was clearly not meant to hear this.</p><p>His teammate lifts his head, their arms still around each other, looks at Akira and says, “I’m in love with you too.”</p><p>Akira opens his mouth, ready to say something else, <em>anything</em> that can express exactly how happy Ryuji’s words make him, but a voice calling them from downstairs prevents him from doing so.</p><p>“Did you guys die?” yells Ann, and they know that’s their cue to going back to Akira’s welcome back party.</p><p>“Turns out I gave the manga back beforehand,” says Akira while he walks down the steps of the attic. “No wonder we couldn’t find it.”</p><p>The rest of the night is spent exchanging glances with Ryuji, a clear promise that there’s going to be more of this. There’s no going back to how they were, now. They’ve crossed some kind of threshold that has changed their relationship, and Akira simply refuses to go back. He can see it in Ryuji’s eyes that he’s thinking the same.</p><p>Time goes by quickly, when he spends it with his friends. He goes to sleep that night dizzied with anticipation, just waiting for the next time they'll see each other. Many things will be different now. Because the next time he sees Ryuji, it'll be as more than just friends.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Once again, here's my Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/rikubraveheart">@rikubraveheart</a></p><p>Thanks to <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/nogalranoglory">NoGalraNoGlory</a> for beta reading this!</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>